Kuwait jails Iraqi spies

01 June 2004
Three Iraqi nationals living in Kuwait were sentenced on 31 May to 10-year prison terms for spying for the former Iraqi regime before the US occupation, according to a defence lawyer.

Zuhair Fakira, Nazem Jawad and Mustafa Khalil had been acquitted two months ago by the criminal court, but the Court of Appeals found them guilty of 'sending information deemed harmful to national security' in March 2003, defence lawyer Ibrahim al-Kandari told AFP.

The court also fined each man around 18,000 dinars ($60,000) for stealing a car and selling it in Iraq. It acquitted their Saudi accomplice but fined him 3,000 dinars for taking part in the car theft, Kandari said.

The men were arrested in February last year, and will be deported after serving their jail terms. Kandari told of his plans to appeal against the ruling in the emirate's highest court.

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